As we age, we see death getting closer. Those with clearer wisdom will see that there are causes and conditions or ‘factors’ that affect all lives on every level, making them entangled in a way that is inseparable.
This thought reminded me of my earlier vision. In that vision, I stood on a bridge over a river with strong currents. Then I jumped off into the river even though I had already made it to the shore. The reason I mentioned this was because I had to go to the market to find some decoration items for Manasikarn Hall.
That day, the market was quite crowded with lots of vendors and customers. All the vendors tried to sell their products to make a living and fiercely competed against each other. Eventually, most of them would fall into the trap of greed, getting stuck in the pursuit of wealth, but not in the pursuit of goodness.
This cycle extends to all levels. Every life must come to an end, which is death. At that point, nothing can be taken except the stream of merit, sin, good and bad deeds that they’ve accumulated.
For me, going to the market and talking to the vendors was just like diving into the river as in my vision. I sought out products and handicrafts from various places to make Manasikarn Hall a cultural market that can generate additional income so it wouldn’t have to rely too much on donations.
There was a time I came across a shop selling high quality fabric flowers at wholesale price, much cheaper than those in department stores. These beautiful flowers would elevate the decoration of Manasikarn Hall, and we could place them in distinctive Benjarong vases as the offerings to Buddha images.
This flower shop was located deep in an alley. The owner said that to get good quality products at this price, you had to endure the heat. While waiting to pay, I fanned myself and grumbled, “I don’t know what I’m doing here, putting myself in trouble.”
A nearby vendor who was watching me said, “The well-off strolling around here must enjoy beautiful things.”
Hearing the word “well-off,” I felt I had to be humble, so I said, “Well…these fabric flowers are really beautiful and of good quality. Looking at them makes me feel good.”
I asked the owner whether she had any flowers of less than a hundred baht. She said that the customers wouldn’t stop by her shop for that price range. And she was right…her flowers were so beautiful that I didn’t mind paying more.
After returning from the market, I couldn’t help thinking of everyone’s final destination. Those who buy expensive goods in a luxury department store or those who buy cheap goods in a hot market, in the end, everyone has the same destination.
How many people are aware of impermanence and live a balanced life?
For those who are aware of the power of merit, they often wait for the merit to support them. If they don’t get what they expect, they might wonder why they still face karmic consequences although they’ve made a great number of merits.
Please be aware that when it comes to merit-making, our intentions aren’t for harm but for help. This merit has already been accumulated in our minds. When the stream of merit ripens, it will send supportive results accordingly. If you want to speed it up, like fruits going through ripening process, you can pray to hasten the merit. However, the result may become smaller because it’s interfered by the stream of craving.
Those who don’t see their lives getting better although they’ve made merit regularly, may not know that their lives aren’t getting worse because they have the merit support them continuously. Otherwise, they might be struck by karmic consequences, then fall sick and suffer greatly.
I wish you all prosperity, not lacking what you need. Don’t feel sad about your fortune and wonder why the merit you made doesn’t help you. It could be that the merit is actually sustaining your life, helping you not to fall apart further than this.
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